Tehran, Astana seeking an upswing in tourism ties

TEHRAN - Iranian and Kazak officials have called for stronger tourism ties especially in marine and medical spheres.

During a meeting in Tehran on Tuesday, Cultural Heritage, Tourism and Handicrafts Organization Director Zahra Ahmadipour and Kazakhstan’s Minister of Culture and Sports Arystanbek Mukhamediuly explored avenues for broadening bilateral ties. They also discussed setting up Iranian handicrafts shops in the neighboring country, CHTO reported on Wednesday.

“There lies various areas of cooperation due to cultural affinities and commonalities between the two nations,” Ahmadipour said.

Pointing to the lack of direct flights between Tehran and Astana, she supposed that Caspian Sea potentials can be used as a common ground for creating and developing marine tourism between Iran and Kazakhstan.

“Kazakhstan enjoys beautiful and vast nature and Iran has high capacities in natural, historical, cultural as well as its health tourism arenas, which should be taken into account,” the official added.

Referring to the high quality and reasonable prices for medical and therapeutic facilities in Iran, she said that health tourism can be considered as one of the major areas of collaboration between the two countries.

Elsewhere in her remarks, Ahmadipour touched upon handicrafts as another source for assistance while she urged the need for deepening interaction between craftspeople, exchanging experience and organizing artistic workshops. She also proposed establishing Iranian handicrafts stores in Kazakhstan.

For his part, Mukhamediuly hailed such expansion of ties, saying that Kazakh authorities have “a lot of plans” for developing tourism ties with Iran.

Mukhamediuly also talked on a visa simplification plan that would enable a travel boom between the two neighbor sates, saying: “Today, Kazakhstan has extensive plans to attract foreign tourists and for this purpose a township is under construction in the field of health tourism.”

“We welcome the proposal of establishing Iranian handicraft stores. To start this phase of cooperation, it is possible to set up ones in Astana and Almaty,” the minister added.

PHOTO: CHTHO Director Zahra Ahmadipour presents a gift to Kazakhstan’s Minister of Culture and Sports Arystanbek Mukhamediuly during a meeting in Tehran on August 8, 2017.